How Does Front-Running Risk Affect the Bid-Ask Spread for Crypto Derivatives?
Front-running risk widens the bid-ask spread for crypto derivatives. Market makers, who profit from the spread, must account for the risk that their orders will be front-run, leading to a loss.
To compensate for this risk, they will quote a lower bid price and a higher ask price, resulting in a wider spread. This increases the transaction cost for all other traders.